A collection of letters written between Queen Elizabeth and King James VI of Scotland. Beginning in mid-1585, Elizabeth and James began communicating directly with one another, after years of using Ambassadors to deliver verbal messages. One can discern their continual reinforcement of peer-to-peer communication and familial ties. Using terms "brother," "mother," "cousin" and "friend" rather frequently, it is clear that the two did establish a severe closeness with one another, despite never meeting face to face. It seems possible that Elizabeth, then 51, decided to begin direct communication with the 19-year-old James?at a later date as an attempt to perhaps groom the young royal?for his likely succession as King James I upon her death. Elizabeth was enduring extreme political pressure to assign a line of succession, since her bearing an heir herself was many years passed becoming a possibility, and she clearly saw her nephew?as the best and most logical possibility. James clearly understood that he was in line to potentially become King of England, as evidenced by his inherent cooperation and decided lack of disapproving language, even when he learned of Elizabeth approving the execution of his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots. Elizabeth's last letter to James was written in January of 1603, a mere two months before her death.